First of all, I am a big sucker for racial-harmony-pictures, so Invictus got me right here. I don’t know that I see the magic of Clint Eastwood, as most reviewers seem to trip all over themselves to compliment his films. He’s not exactly a subtle guy (Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino – all exercises in explicit, simplistic plays for audience sympathy, no offense), but sometimes, he manipulates me in a way that feels oh-so-right, and I will say that his filmmaking does seem to get considerably less clunky with each foray. And with this picture (which is about Nelson Mandela’s first steps into presidency and making the rugby team the pride of the country), I saw for the first time how sports can play a role in community identity and pride and Eastwood’s rugby scenes captured my attention (in a way real sports never can). Plus, since I know Mandela was never assassinated at a rugby match, I could just sit and relax and enjoy the picture, which was really nice.
Where Dreams Really Do Come True